When does a visit to a ballpark count?
Was curious what others used as a criterion for 'counting' a visit to a ballpark.
Examples I've heard:
- Must see game
- Must see at least X # innings
- Took a tour
- Took snap shots
- Spring training parks don't count
- Spring training do count
- Suspended rain games count/don't count
Here are mine:
- A tour counts
- Spring training and AFL parks count if I see a game
- Rainouts count if I remain in my seat for at least two hours (and I got to walk the concourse and 'see' the stadium)
- Seeing greater than 5 innings at a game (not that I've ever left one before that except for rainouts).
Please share yours.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Doug Miller (30) on
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It definitely varies by person. There's really no "right" answer, because technically, if you've been to the park, you've been to the park. Personally, I only count it if I've seen an official game, meaning the minimum of 5 innings. But, I've seen complete games in every MLB park I've listed. (Even Pittsburgh where I saw the last 6-1/3 of one game and the first 4-2/3 of another, more than a complete game from a certain point of view. :) ) There have been a few MiLB parks where I left after 7 or so, usually after about 5 innings of Single A Summer-League ball, that games already lasted a while. Ha-ha.
Doug
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Permalink Reply by Michael Haas on
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I agree with Doug.
I personally don't count a tour. A tour isn't much of an experience compared with a game and players on the field and fans in the stands.
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Permalink Reply by Craig (17) on
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Ah yes, the age-old question of when does a 'visit', count. I think it really is a personal thing and can be different for everyone. With that being said, I never count a ballpark until I have seen the home team play a game there.
-If I leave early (never will happen), I would still count it.
-Thank goodness I have never experienced a rain-out while on the road as I would not count it if no innings were played.
-A tour would not count in my opinion
-A spring training game would count for me
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Permalink Reply by Tony F. Rezac on
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In my opinion if you show up with a ticket on game day, and make a good hearted attempt at watching it, it should count. Even in the case of a rain delay.
The one rain delay I was caught in, ended up being a great way to get to know the stadium and some of the fans.
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Permalink Reply by Ken Lee (30/43) on
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Yeah, this is certainly a matter of opinion and if its your personal opinion that it counts as long as you have seen the park (as with a tour), then count it. My thoughts are that as long as I was there, I can say that I "saw" it. To say I saw a game at them, I gotta see a game, obviously. The only current park that I cant say that I saw a game is new Yankee Stadium. However, I showed up, stood in the rain, walked around the park, got to see the stadium in ever fashion... except a game. So I claim to have seen the park, just not a game. I mean, we walked around checking things out, we paid the extremely high prices for drinks and food... just didn't see a game cause there was a 5 1/2 hour rain delay. Now, 5 1/2 hours of sitting in the rain or 6 1/2 innings at Fenway that night... well, Fenway will always win, so I left to "Ship it up to Boston" :)
As most of us know, Chuck Booth did a run last year where he couldn't "Count it" unless he saw every single pitch, no matter how short or long the game was. That's the World According to Guinness.
So, I guess, the bottom line to me is to say how do you say it when you count them? Do you say "I have seen games in them all"? or doy ou say "I have seen them all"? In August 2006 when I got to new Busch, I had "seen" all 30 current parks, I just had only seen games in 28 of them. I made sure I made that distinction when talking about what I had accomplished at that point. Most often though, my choice of phrasing is "I have seen them all"... especially cause I haven't seen a game at Yankee Stadium... that will change this summer so I will be able to say "I have seen a game at all 30 current MLB Parks"... yet again! :)
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Permalink Reply by Kurt Smith on
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Funny you bring this up Meg...I had a buddy that was big into baseball, he was as die hard for the Mets as I was for the Orioles. He took me to a game at Shea and I returned the favor at Camden Yards. He told me he had seen a preseason game there. I decided that did not count, and told him that now he could remove the asterisk next to Camden Yards as one that he's been to!
If nine innings is a requirement then I can't count the new Busch in St. Louis or Minute Maid in Houston, but I still count them. I don't know if I would count tours but rainouts definitely count.
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Permalink Reply by Bob DeVries (30 all in 09 & 10) on
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I agree with Doug - last season when I did all 30 the rule I used was an official game.
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Permalink Reply by Jen Williams on
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I am torn on this one. I scalped great seats to a Cubs-Cardinals game. I had taken my photos inside and outside (photos of me as well as just the park). I had my program, my beer, and my hot dog. Then 20 minutes after game start time, still waiting, they announced that Darryl Kile had been found in his hotel room and the game was CANCELLED. So i took the El to take a peek at US Cellular Field (no game). I didn't count either one. I eventually saw the White Sox play. I personally still need to return to Wrigley. I mean, who wouldn't want to return to Wrigley!
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Permalink Reply by michael schwartz (71) on
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1. Regular season or post-season game, i.e., a game that "counts."
2. Game lasts long enough to be official.
3. If #2 is satisfied, leaving early is OK.
4. Suspended or tie games OK if five innings are played.
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Thanks Mike...I feel better about the innings thing!
We left the game in St. Louis because there were two rain delays, and I was worried that the Metro train wasn't going to run that late. If I used my brain for once, I would have remembered that the train waits until an hour after the game. Stupid. Loved that ballpark too. In my top, well, six.
I got to Minute Maid (it was Enron then) an inning late because I couldn't get there! I was fuming because I was driving right by it on the interstate and still didn't see any signs to get there. If I hadn't brought a map with me I might still be looking for the exit. That's another great place to see a game though.
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Must see a official reg season, all star (Not HR Derby)or playoff MLB game between any 2 of the 30 MLB teams. No other sporting event counts. Rainouts do not count. spring training games do not count. World baseball classic games do not count. Minor lg games do not count. If any rules were not so I could count aloha stadium,(Pro Bowl) LA coliseum,(USC Football) Cashman field(Minor Lg Game) Disneys WWS complex(Spring training) or any other facility where at least 1 MLB official game has been played in the past
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Permalink Reply by Chuck Booth (35) ALL 30/23 DAYS! on
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I can tell you that it should count with a 4 1/2 inning game--just like major league rules. I can also tell you that the 'GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORD' recognizes a game from 1st to last play---of course that is really technical. I would go with 4 1/2 innings
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